The Apple MacBook Air could be getting a revamp with a cheaper price tag

The MacBook Air line has been long neglected and needs an upgrade 
The new Apple Macbook Air 2018 could be released in the second quarter of this year
Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty images
Amelia Heathman5 March 2018

Apple fans get ready: the company could be launching a brand new MacBook Air later this year - with a more affordable price tag.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities released some investor notes over the weekend predicting a new, cheaper Apple MacBook Air 2018.

Kuo says the new MacBook Air could be released during the second quarter of 2018, before Apple’s keynote launch event in September.

At the moment, the lowest priced Apple MacBook Air is £949.00. The 13-inch computer has a 1.8GHz processor, with 128GB storage.

However, the new version released later this year could be less than that.

This is clearly good news for those struggling to afford the current models, whilst Kuo predicts it will pay off nicely for Apple too; a more affordable version is expected to help push MacBook shipments up by 10 to 15 per cent this year.

More MacBooks, more money for Apple

Last year, Apple focused on getting out two major products: the 10-year anniversary iPhone, iPhone X, and the smart speaker the HomePod.

The MacBook Air has long been neglected as the company has chosen to focus instead on its most recent MacBook line.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the tech giant was set to release three new Macs in 2018: two laptops and a desktop.

Apple has now chosen to make its own co-processors - which supports the functions of the computer’s processor (CPU) ; bringing this expertise in-house could lead to faster processing and more power efficiency for its next product line, as well as lower prices for Apple customers.

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The MacBook is currently facing stiff competition. At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, the Chinese tech firm Huawei released its MacBook competitor: the Huawei MateBook X Pro.

The new laptop has a higher screen resolution than any of Apple’s products, almost no bezel and a “spill-proof” backlit keyboard.

Ian Eygelsheim, Buying Manager in Computing at Argos, said: “Huawei’s MateBook X Pro is an impressive new premium laptop that we think will prove really popular with our customers looking for a high end device.”

With the focus on the iPhone X waning, a new Apple MacBook Air could do nicely for the company.

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